As founder of elephant, I’ve worked with PETA—not directly, I have no ties to them—over the years, and I’m convinced of the simple truth that they care about animals, and are well-informed on the issues and questions of animal care.

And for years, a libertarian friend of mine has posted blogs about how PETA kills kabillions of animals on my Facebook Wall. So, a few years back, I asked PETA about it, via twitter.

As you can see above, they have long had a clear and public euthanization policy. And it’s certainly not secret.

So when photos and blogs started going around recently—I can’t even link to the Breitbart “article” in good conscience—it’s a far right traffic-baiting hype-hate machine, the furthest thing from fair, original journalism—I smelled a rat.

And then, after getting a few “how could PETA do this!?” kind of emails from a yoga teacher colleague of mine—an intelligent, educated, savvy woman—I realized that somehow these lazy, shoddy, biased accusations had gone viral.

1. The truth is, of course, that the problem starts with us. You and I. When/if we choose not to adopt, we give up the chance to save a life.

2. Breeders and puppy mills and pet stores “manufacture” sentient lives for profit. Again and again, organizations such as PETA and the Humane Society have exposed intolerable, inhumane conditions. Even the best puppy mills are producing more lives in a society that…

3. …already has far more animals in need of rescue than citizens who choose to rescue (it’s called rescue for a reason).

So there’s the “math.” The result of the above equation is that, year after year, there are 10s of 1000s of animals who are euthanized—killed—because there’s not enough folks who care to adopt them. Reminder: whatever breed you want, you can adopt it.
These tend to be animals that are old, sick but treatable, troubled but workable, not cute in some conventional sense…all sweet, loving animals deserving of a life and who could make your life, you dear reader, a sweeter, fuller, more joyful one.

So “no-kill” shelters kill by refusing to adopt these animals, or passing along animals that aren’t adopts to will kill shelters.

And organizations like PETA, and kill shelters, do the “dirty work” of ending these lives when no one has chosen to adopt them. That’s it. PETA is not secretly some animal-hating organization.

PS: if you have additional info that either confirms or contradicts the above, please leave it in comments and if it checks out, I’ll add it in. I am only after the fair and constructive truth here.

For a reasonable discussion, click over to Reddit (which loves to hate PETA, generally). “PETA is not a shelter. They are an organization that has to unfortunately do the dirty work that no-kill shelters leave behind. PETA goes into the worst situations and has to “clean up”. It is impossible to help animals and not euthanize. We have created such bad overpopulation. If you don’t agree with PETA, fine. But do your home work. No kill is not the be all end all solution. It is great in theory, but not in practice. I would recommend people do their own research and decide for themselves. The other side to this argument is petasaves.com ”

~

Be a part of the solution: adopt. The life you save might just be your own:

Wondering if you have read Nathan Winograd's books and are aware of the many communities that have achieved virtually a no kill status. PETA does many laudable things. My opinion is companion animal rescue is not one of them. Unless someone was masquerading as Ingrid Newkirk, she has been very clear that pit bulls should be euthanized pretty much 100% of the time. As someone who has a rescued pit bull that just doesn't sit well with me. I also don't appreciate being told how no kill rescue is the problem. That is absurd. Like all other social issues this requires a multilevel approach. Another thing I read by Ms. Newkirk equated no kill rescue with hoarding. I again found that insulting and indefensible. This is all in addition to the way they exploit the female body in their campaigns.

I have also found that i have diverse opinions on this as well. like peta is one of the richest animal welfare (i will not say rights) organizations in the world, and yes its amazing the light they bring to many issues, they also have tons of money to do more adoptions of companion animals if they so chose. I agree with some of what they say, and am aware that many no-kills do send animals to other "shelters" to be murdered. the bottom line is every pet store should only be allowed to be an adoption store, puppy mills shut down, breeders shut down, all animals spayed and neutered until there are no more homeless animals. actually all beings should be spayed and neutered while we are talking about over population, the biggest over populater is the human. so add us to the list as well.

Laura: I dislike PETA not because they are not a shelter, but because they advocate for the summary killings of all dogs identified as "pit bulls" and all feral cats. At the same time, they pushed their name out as much as possible in the Michael Vick case while doing absolutely nothing for the Vick dogs or any dogs like them. Until they include all companion animals in their circle of compassion, I have no interest in supporting them as an organization.

I am curious Waylon if you've encountered the Asilomar Accords before? If not, may I recommend checking out their website to you and to elephantjournal readers?
We are all passionate about animal welfare and preservation of life so I thought I'd offer this information, not necessarily as a solution to the "PETA is good/PETA is bad" debate —but to start some movement toward real solutions that get results. The Asilomar Accord is not a panacea; it is a useful start that has, at the heart of it, community based engagement. No single organization, no matter their size or resource capability, can take on the issue of pet overpopulation. This is a shared fate among all humans and domestic animals.
This is from the Asilomar Accords introduction page:
"In August of 2004, a group of animal welfare industry leaders from across the nation convened at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, for the purpose of building bridges across varying philosophies, developing relationships and creating goals focused on significantly reducing the euthanasia of healthy and treatable companion animals in the United States."

I can say that the problem is not different for us in Canada. Per capita, there are still more cats/dogs than there are people to adopt them . Without pointing in one direction or another saying, "This is the Way" I think that it is important and necessary to share other perspectives toward a goal many (all?) of us share (zero euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals). Even if we may not agree on methods, tools, or strategies, we simply will not get anywhere, nor make any change, spending our time arguing about the ethics of animal management. Sure, it's important to have ethics, but the discussion has to get beyond right/wrong, bad/good kind of narrow thinking.
I offer these words with kindness to all.

You and PETA are completely uninformed about what a true NO KILL Shelter is. That is one that has open intake, meaning accepts all animals, and has the 10 step NO KILL platform in place sucsessfully enough to only kill for behavioral or medical reasons. OTHERWISE NO MATTER WHAT IT CALLS ITSELF IT DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A NO KILL SHELTER!!!
There are more people that will want to adopt an animal this year than there are animals in the shelters….cut out the breeders, puppy mills and back yard breeders and all animals in all shelters could have homes.

Passing along this account of working with PeTA: "I volunteered @ a local PETA "shelter" for roughly 6 months a few years ago. I was trying to impress a girl I was dating who worked there. I witnessed first hand many of these things and more. I saw 3 kittens in a cage without food or water & when I went to feed them I was told "Don't bother, they will be put down soon.". I saw a mother cat, after giving birth to its first kitten, euthanized, put in a bag and tossed in a freezer. She had not yet finished giving birth to the other kitten/kittens. I have seen people call in & stop by looking to adopt cats and/or dogs & be turned away. They were told "Sorry, we don't have any available" all the while there were several cats, dogs, puppies & kittens sitting in cages awaiting euthanization. While I'll admit I'm no "animal lover", what I saw there was #@$&ed up. Of the 100 or so animals I saw euthanised I can recall 5 that were unhealthy or old. My last day there, I stole 2 kittens & took them home with me. They sit here with me now as I type this, healthy and alive. I broke up with the girl a week later. (The breakup & the PETA situation were unrelated.) "

I dislike PETA not because they are not a shelter, but because they advocate for the summary killings of all dogs identified as "pit bulls" and all feral cats. At the same time, they pushed their name out as much as possible in the Michael Vick case while doing absolutely nothing for the Vick dogs or any dogs like them. Until they include all companion animals in their circle of compassion, I have no interest in supporting them as an organization.

To be fair my experience is based on the situation in the UK where fortunately the 'No kill' culture is less of an issue, however your comments that '(those in shelters) tend to be animals that are old, sick but treatable, troubled but workable, not cute in some conventional sense' is misguided and a classic example of public perception. In my experience of being a volunteer in a rehoming centre the animals are usually victims of human circumstance, divorce, babies arriving, unwanted puppies, moving house, death etc. very few are actually 'troubled' those that are may not be able to be re-homed in which case euthanasia is sometimes inevitable but always done preceded with love, warmth, food and compassion until the last breath is taken. Ultimately the problem is down to people but draconian systems such as BSL, feral eutanising instead of spaying is no more the answer than hateful online campaigns from any side of the argument.

Look I understand that PETA does some good work regarding maltreatment of domestic/companion animals but I have a real problem with organisations that make blanket judgement calls about animal husbandry processes as PETA has done with the Australian Wool Industry.

Our wool is grown on merino sheep. Our environment is extremely dry and hot. We are one of the largest wool growing nations in the world, based on numbers of sheep, land under pasture and tonnage of clip. There are some demands being made by PETA about how our sheep should be treated but these can’t be met in their timeframe as the breed needs to have changes made to it to avoid the crippling lay debilitating disease of fly strike. Fly strike is where a fly crawls into the folds of skin around a sheep’s anus, lays its eggs and then when they hatch the maggots eat their way out – not pretty at all.

The only treatment to avoid this is a prevention called mulesing which involves cutting the skin off to deny the flies a place to lay their eggs. PETA’s “commercial terrorism” tactics are understandable but have the opposite effect to that desired as they limit the ability of growers to develop alternate solutions by reducing the financial return a wool grower gets on their clip.

What I would like to see is a balanced approach with achievable targets established with the growers to enable mulesing to be eliminated but unfortunately the fanatics, on both sides, don’t want discussion to occur.

I worked in a small shelter for years. We'd get there in the morning and find boxes of tiny pups and kittens, which was devastating. We knew there was a greiving mother somewhere who would just have another litter soon. People are stupid, and because of this, sometimes animals must be euthanized. Anyone who thinks this isn't true should give, volunteer, adopt, spay and donate until we change the world.

Waylon…had do you reconcile euthanasia, as a buddhist, assuming you have taken bodhisattva vows, or even not? Euthanasia is not a numbers game in buddhism…please tell me how you justify it speaking as the buddhist you say that you are? You publically endorsed euthanasia.

i am not opposed to humane euthenasia. the most concerning part of the story to me was the fact that an overwhelming majority of the animals were killed within 24 hours of coming into PETA's care. they are a huge organization whose name carries weight–a LOT of weight–and it seems that they did not even attempt adoption. also concerning is the shelter "front" in VA.

I can tell you from personal experience that PETA doe snot just go around euthanizing animals all day. I have been an animal advocate for 20+ years as well as a former PETA employee. My first day on the job, at the end of the day we where sent to an elderly ladies home who's 18 year old, blind, def dog could no longer walk. She as with EVERY person who hands over an animal to PETA signed a euthanize waiver just as you would do at your vet for your own pet, she said her goodbyes and I sat holding the dog in my lap while she passed peacefully. I think a lot of people do not realize several things about PETA. First, we literally are an office building, there is no animal intake at the office. Just as we are not a shelter or rescue for dogs and cats, we also dont take in unwanted snakes, guinea pigs, tarantulas, Llamas etc… If you cannot place an expectation of us taking in ANY animal then why place the expectation of dogs? You walk through the front door and there is literally NOTHING there except for an elevator.
Second, there is a difference between an opinion versus an action. While PETA does support the Euthanasia of "adoptable" animals that does not mean we go around killing dogs all over town! PETA offers free euthanizing services for low income families in the Hampton Roads area of Va. We do not have people lining up at our doors with healthy pets, we dont take their pets and secretly kill them. Where are the public complaints if this is happening? When on occasion a person does contact PETA about an unwanted pet we ALWAYS refer them to the local ASPCA. People in the community know we are an office and I have NEVER seen someone walk up expecting us to just take their pet. Third, That first day of work, I was dressed so nice, in my heels…. and I was told to throw on an old polo shirt because I was going to be getting dirty. I was sent to the ghetto to walk the streets offering dog houses, bedding, food, water, leashes, free spay neuter services, treats etc…. to every household who had a dog, and out of every house I walked up to, only ONE was not a bully breed! I got a million slobbery kisses and I saw grown ass thug men turn to mush when they would walk out to their dogs with us! I never saw one mark on any dog. Im not saying that fighting does not happen. I also know 4 bully breed dogs that come to work in the office with their human everyday. Yes, Pit Bulls at PETA. I actually have two myself. I would suggest before anyone falls for anything Nathan Winograd has to say, look up the FB page "Exposing the truth behind no kill nation". Or hell, even just try and go to his page or the no kill page and try asking him a question, any question about PETA and see how quick he blocks you, he cannot even defend his lies so he just gets rid of you. Do I think in this life time that no kill will be possible? NO. Because there will always be human ignorance, greed and abuse. The Vice President of No Kill is a breeder BTW, in case anyone was wondering how concerned they really are over the population of homeless animals being euthanized.

Oh I would like to add that out of every animal who does come into our facility, I would estimate that 0 percent are adopted out. They come to us for the purpose of being euthanized, these are not adoptable animals just being dumped on us. So yes, most certainly they are euthanized right away, would you rather we held them longer to let them suffer??

Why do you take them? I'm confused – if you are not an adoption organization – PETA could send money to a no-kill shelter and encourage them to find animals homes. Do not accept the animals unless they can be adopted out. There is something fishy going on and PETA should be responding to this directly. I know with the UVIC rabbit rescue they finally responded by saying they did not deal with feral animals – fine – we then looked at other avenues for support.

Many people in dog and cat rescue are against PETA, fyi. I remember when I was working my dogs (mixed breeds, rescued from a kill shelter) at an obedience trial several years ago (an obedience trial for all mixed breeds and non AKC purebreds), PETA supporters came and started letting dogs out of their crates! This happens all the time. They are against ANY companion animal ownership/guardianship.

While there are many pure bred dogs available at shelters and through pure bred dog rescues, there are many breeds not available…some people want to know it is a quality dog, has been health tested and temperament tested, has been worked in its field, etc. or, they want a pup to train themselves and not retrain a dog or deal with a dog with behavior issues. Thus…

I do not agree with part of the article's claim "2. Breeders and puppy mills and pet stores “manufacture” sentient lives for profit.…"

Please research and talk with GOOD, RESPONSIBLE breeders. It should read: backyard/irresponsible breeders. Responsible breeders are people who are dedicated to their breed. They are not in it for a profit and rarely make one.

It breaks my heart to say it, but after reading about Caboodle Ranch and other cases of rescue hording, I now support the euthanasia of animals in a compassionate way. The fact of the matter is that there are far far too many cats and dogs out there. I live in a fairly well-off, well-educated community that has the best public shelter I have ever seen, yet it still euthanizes 100s if not 1000s of animals every year and is still full to capacity. There are also a myriad of other shelters, which are also at capacity, and lots of people who foster. I do not know what the solution to this problem is, other than to compassionately euthanize.

In the cases that I have read about rescue-hording, it is clear that the person at the heart of the "rescue" thinks s/he is doing far more good than what they are. They cannot bear to hear that animals will be put down, but meanwhile the animals they have suffer greatly. There are fates worse than death. One of those fates was to be a cat "rescued" by Caboodle Ranch.

Extremely helpful article, thanks very much. The statistical blizzard and claim v counter-claim elsewhere is antithetical to a clear understanding of the moral issues, and where the real responsibility lies. You laid out some logically indisputable premises and came to appropriate and un-hysterical conclusions. Based on the comments you read at PETAkillsanimals etc a lot of people are looking for a fall guy and someone to hate, and are not interested in solutions, let alone examining their own behaviour.

I find it ironic that PETA is supposed to be a helpful/animal lover group, yet every time I hear their name my first thought is anger and hate. To me it reminds me a bit of the article that was posted here on how meat eaters often resent vegans/vegetarians for attacking them and pushing their views. I am a vegetarian myself and find the less I bash eating meat, and rather promote the benefits, the more I see understanding. I think it would be wise for PETA to change their reputation from one that stalks/harasses fur-bearing celebrities to one that promotes animal rescue stories, and it may appeal to a broader range of people. I am all about saving animals, and I am positive they have done more good for the world than harm. However it does not totally surprise me that there are people trying to leak dirty rumors about a charity that has on several occasions purposefully rubbed people the wrong way.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” -MLK

"So “no-kill” shelters kill by refusing to adopt these animals, or passing along animals that aren’t adopts to will kill shelters."

This is some shockingly piss poor logic. This is like saying a battered women's shelter is more responsible for domestic violence than batterers because they lack the capacity to take in every victim of domestic violence. The people trying to prevent violence with finite resources aren't the ones responsible for violence – the ones committing violence are responsible. And in this case, that's PETA and other killers.

Here's a first-hand account of an employee's first day at PETA, posted on Facebook under the name Janna Harris-Cadenas:

"Ok, I guess I will put my two cents in. I am a former employee of PETA and still activist for them. I still get called to go out when animals are in urgent need… The high kill rate: PETA is a fairly small office building on the River in Norfolk Va, there is now a second office in Cali. PETA is an animal right organization, not a shelter. The high kill rate does honestly and truly come from low income families bringing their pets to us because we offer free euthanasia services. My very first day at PETA I was all dressed up, in my high heels ready to start my dream! Then I was told to put a polo shirt on over my nice shirt. I proceeded to go out in a van with another employee and deliver bedding, food, water, new collars, treats toys etc…. To the dogs in a local low income community. As we went around getting slobbered on by every pit bull in the vicinity we also offered the people free spay and neuter services for their dogs. We were met by people who truly truly loved their dogs and were for the most part very welling to do the surgeries! I will honestly say that while I am very well aware of the reality of pit bull fighting in these communities, I did not see a scratch on one single dog. These guys turned to mush when they touched their dogs!! At the end of the day we made one last stop at an elderly ladies house. Her 18 year old dog who was blind and deaf was no longer able to walk. She had called a vet but was not an established customer and didn't have the money so they turned her away. We let her say her goodbyes and brought her dog back to the office with us. I sat on the floor and held her in my arms while she was sent away in peace. And THAT is why PETA has a high kill rate."

"A lot of people criticize People for the Ethical Treatment of Children for euthanizing kids. But really, the ones to blame are:

– orphanages that turn away kids when they don't have bed space.
– people who don't use adequate birth control.
– the pro-life movement.

We shouldn't blame PETC for having to do the dirty work created by these other people.

Besides, the kids PETC kills are mostly teenagers and ones with illnesses and disabilities, and who wants them anyway? Also kids with behavioral issues. What else are you going to do with unadoptable kids?"

From what I know about PETA, and I’ve seen Ingrid Newkirk say it herself in a documentary, the philosophy of the organization is that animals are not ours to own, eat, wear, or for entertainment. The reason they euthanize unwanted animals instead of trying to adopt them out is for that very reason. They believe that instead adopting the animal out to some other person who may treat them poorly, they are being compassionate in ending that animals life to help them avoid suffering.

You don't see human rights groups "euthanizing" unwanted or homeless humans, do you? Of course not, because the right to life is the most basic right of all, and no group would ever take it away from people no matter how poor or hungry they were. So how can an animal "rights" group kill unwanted animals and still call itself an animal "rights" group? Apparently they consider animals disposable; not a good example to set for the rest of society. If even an animals rights group thinks animals lives don't matter, how can we expect progress from the rest of society in how it views animals? It's very speciesist, actually; so called animal "rights" people thinking it's OK to kill homeless animals, but not homeless people.

I do not have an issue with euthanasia for terminally ill and suffering animals, but PETA has admitted to killing many adoptable animals, including puppies and kittens as well. A friend who interned with them a few years ago told me his biggst issue was the lack of transparency and the dishonesty he came across while working there; I have heard tthe story a few times from him about how he was presentwhen a man in tears surrendered his two friendly dogs and being promised by PETA staff they would find a good home, only to be killed that same day.

This is all very confusing on who to believe however I will peta sounds very fucked to say that animals shouldn’t be owned so what are we supposed to do with domesticated animals obviously peta doesn’t think we should turn them loose to be wild ( which I dont support either) but their opition is to euthanize them???? Their views on feral and pitbulls are ridiculous and though I don’t like euthanizing unless suffering on death bed I do understand shelters at times have no choice but damn!Give the animal a chance and IMO I think every measure should be taking before euthanizing is even thought of! As for adopting pets I fully agree every since my Puggy had to be put down at 15 because he was terminally ill to the point the vet said she didn’t know how he was even alive other than holding on for us to accept letting him go I feel he would be proud of me to know I have made the choice to rescue when I can the two dockers I own now where abandoned at a gas station before their eyes where even open and nothing is more rewarding to know that we saved them and their sisters and all are in good health and in good caring home two with my boyfriend and I and they are so awesome so I guess screw peta and I’ll just rescue who I can when I can and I’ll continue to encourage people to do the same rather than go to a breeder plus the bond you get with an animals you rescued vs one you just picked because it was the cutiest in the litter is great I never thought I would bond as much to a dog as my lil bro puggy but saving these guys and raising them has broight me to that point it is really worth it and I know he would be proud of me

I’m all for helping animals and have a cat I bought from my neighbor after seeing Midnight roaming around at night as a kitten. However I don’t support peta or it’s tactics of attacking others. Ex: Throwing paint on a model’s fur coat which just gets replaced.

There seems to be a lot of actual "Truth about PETA" missing from this article. It should be noted that even shelters that do perform euthanasia still give animals a two week time frame, on average, in which to be adopted. This is much preferable to the less than 24 hours that PETA allows for.

Supporters of animal rights believe that animals have an inherent worth. “We believe that every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering.”
– -www.peta.org
PETA workers have promised to help find homes for animals rather than euthanize them.
The group justifies its euthanasia policies towards pets by saying that “[PETA] only takes in animals that are deemed unable to be placed in homes…because the area shelters are overrun with animals”.
— Alisa Mullins, PETA Correspondent.
They say these animals include: feral cat colonies with diseases such as feline AIDS and leukemia, stray dogs, litters of parvo-infected puppies, and backyard dogs.
PETA’S DEATH TOLL
Since 1998, a total of 38,464 pets have died at the hands of PETA workers. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services “An inspection of over 300 PETA ‘animal custody’ records discovered that PETA kills 86% of the animals it takes in within only 24 hours.”
"We just don't have the money" to care for them, then PETA-Chairman Alex Pacheco told the Washington Times. “The PETA animal shelter had run out of room."
These statistics are shocking for a group that is known for protesting outside of shelters that euthanize animals.
It's also impossible to say that PETA can't find homes for a higher percentage of these animals, as a much smaller adoption agency (the Virginia Beach SPCA), which is just 5 miles from their Norfolk Headquarters had an adoption rate of 67%.
Also, PETA has a $9,370 tax-free write-off for a giant walk-in freezer, to store the bodies of its victims, which are then shipped off to a contracted crematorium (“Pet Cremation Services of Tidewater.")
PETA also overestimates the weight of animals whose euthanasia are recorded in order to account for what would have otherwise been missing chemicals, because it allowed them to euthanize animals off the books.
In June of 2005 two PETA employees were charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies (wrapped in trash bags) of 18 animals they had just picked up from a North Carolina animal shelter into a shopping center dumpster. According to the Associated Press, 13 more dead animals were found in a van registered to PETA.
Employees at this animal shelter thought that PETA was going to try to find homes for the animals, instead they were killed. Criminal indictments were handed down charging PETA staff members with obtaining animals under false pretenses.
“I was told regularly to say whatever I had to say in order to get people to surrender animals to me, lying was not only acceptable, it was encouraged.” – Heather Harper, Ex-PETA Employee
Ingrid Newkirk said it's against the group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "that for some animals, there is no kinder option than euthanasia."
Autopsies of the recovered animals proved that there was nothing physically wrong with them and that they were healthy at the time of their deaths.
Employees were also charged with stealing/killing animals on the same day. On October 18, 2014, two PETA employees were charged with larceny for the theft Maya, a happy and healthy dog who had a home. There was video proof of the employees backing their van up to the porch and throwing biscuits to Maya, in an attempt to coax her off her property and therefore give PETA the ability to claim she was a stray dog. But Maya refused to stray off the porch and ran back. One of the employees then went onto the property and took Maya. They killed her and other animals from the neighborhood that very day.
Virginia State regulations call for a minimum holding period of five days, but upon further inspection it was revealed that the condition of PETA’s animal “shelter” was below the standards established by the organization itself, and doesn’t have the space to hold these animals for 5 days.
It's hypocritical – PETA has a death toll that they would most certainly protest if it weren't their own doing. If PETA truly is concerned with the welfare of animals, then why would they kill thousands of animals? They said that “every animal with the will to live has a right to live”, so why should it matter if that animal is in the wild or in a shelter or is living as someone’s pet? Who is PETA to say that an animal would rather die than live in a shelter or in the wild?